A Room With A View
by PrettyGirlFury
Summary: [Troy X Sharpay] Five years after graduation, Sharpay unknowingly meets up with an old friend which could possibly unlock hidden feelings she has kept inside since high school. [Read & Review]
1. Brighter

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly.But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** This takes place six or seven years after the movie ended and takes place in New York City. I kind of took a **Sex and the City** spin on **High School Musical**. The pairing is going to be **Sharpay** and **Troy**. It's not that I don't like "**Troyella**", those were like my favorite parts in the movie. I just think **Gabriella** is a little whiney and **Sharpay** and **Troy** look better together (NO OFFENSE **Troyella** lovers…sorry).

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #001: **Brighter**

_A taxi picking up a woman holding bags after an early morning shopping spree. _

_A dog walker being dragged by ten high-class show dogs._

_The sidewalk vendor in front of my building serving a gentleman a hot dog. _

_Mustard._

_Onions._

_Relish._

Beams of sunlight shined through the large loft window, illuminating the spacious fifth floor loft. A slender figure sat at a small dining table, her blonde hair glowing with the suns rays. With a pen in hand, she began to write while taking quick glances out the window.

_A man finds a quarter while walking across the street during morning rush hour. _

_A guy with brown hair wearing a track suit out on his morning jog. _

_Troy?_

She stood up and got closer to the window, staring down at the young man running down the sidewalk. Running her hand through her hair, she slowly stepped back from the window.

"_It can't be him,_" She thought to herself. She sat back down, looking at the notebook in front of her while placing the end of her pen on her bottom lip. Her mind went to another place, thinking back five years ago to high school. Her last musical, her last crush and the man she could never have all raced through her head.

Soon her thought process was interrupted by her phone ringing. She glanced over at her phone, the blinking lights catching her attention and then placed her head back down. She continued to just write in her notebook, allowing her answering machine to pick up the unwanted phone call.

"_Hi, I'm not home right now but if you want to leave your name and number, I'll get back to you._" A high-toned beep followed the cheerful voice recording. "Sharpay, this is Julie. There's been a little mix-up with your clients here at the boutique. I need you to get here as soon as possible please." And then a click ended the frantic message left by her personal assistant.

Sharpay sighed. She couldn't believe her morning off was being interrupted by an angry bride throwing a fit about when her fitting was supposed to be. All she wanted to do was sit by her window in her thirteenth floor loft, drink some coffee and smoke a cigarette. Her day was not beginning the way she planned.

An hour later, she finally found the energy to get up, take a shower and walk to her boutique. It was small, with mannequins and fabric near every wall. As she opened the door, a burst of loud female voices caught her attention. She walked to the back and saw a screaming bride, her screaming maid-of-honor and a screaming mother-in-law. They had somewhat cornered her tiny assistant, demanding to speak to the owner.

"Good morning ladies, is there a problem?" The fake smile Sharpay grew on her face made her stomach churn.

The group of furious woman turned to face Sharpay and immediately the brides face lit up with happiness. "Oh my god Sharpay, I'm so glad you're here." She charged towards the confused boutique owner and placed both hands firmly on her shoulders. "I need my dress as soon as possible."

"Like how soon?" A confused Sharpay walked over to her work bench, pulling away from the grip the crazed woman had on her.

"Today."

A small laugh escaped Sharpays mouth just hearing the young brides' response. "Well, we still have to trim the hem and finish all the sequins on the bust. I don't think I could get all that done by tonight."

Tears began running down the girls' face, her face turning beet red as she once again grabbed Sharpay. "Please Sharpay; you have to do this for me." She noticed the look of doubt on Sharpays face and immediately reached for her purse. "Look, I'll pay you double…triple of what it costs. Just please do this for me."

Sharpay didn't know what to do but after thinking about what she could do with the money she shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head. "Okay, I'll have it ready for you tomorrow morning." Disbelief rushed over her, as the once pronounced 'Ice Queen' actually agreed to do something she really didn't want to do.

After moments of hugging, crying and check writing, Sharpay finally got to sit down and begin working on the wedding dress that wasn't supposed to be finished for another month.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Her assistant, Julie, said walking up to the fabric covered workbench.

Sharpay broke out laughing. "Yeah Jay, you can make this whole god damn dress for me." She then pulled her hair up into a ponytail and took a sip of her hot Caramel Macchiato. Her assistant knew that she was kidding; that's how Sharpay worked. "But you know what you could do for me? Call all my other appointments for today and reschedule every single one of them. Then go to the store, buy me a pack of cigarettes, a big diet coke and some lip gloss."

"Okay, but what about the plans you made with Ryan for tonight? You want me to call him?" She began writing on her clipboard, making sure to write down anything Sharpay says.

"No; I haven't seen my brother in almost a year. The least I can do is go out and see a musical with him."

"Right," Julie nodded her head as she made her way towards the boutique door. She then stopped and looked back at Sharpay. "Sharpay?"

"Yeah?" She said, looking up from her sewing machine.

"What's with the lip gloss?" A confused look formed on her face but she knew Sharpay was going to come up with some kind of witty remark.

"Just because I have to make some crazy bridezilla a dress in one day doesn't mean I can't look cute while doing it."

Eleven hours, seventeen cigarettes, ten California rolls and a liter of diet coke later, Sharpay was finally able to sigh with relief. She was done and she wanted to do nothing but sleep. As she began to lie back in her chair and close her eyes, she could hear a vibrating noise coming from her Louis Vuitton purse. It was her phone and the screen on the front read 'Ryan'.

"Hello?" Her less-than-enthusiastic voice came out of remembering that she had plans to go out with her brother.

"Sharpay? Where are you?" Ryan was upset with her and she knew it.

"Sorry, I had a lot of work to do at the boutique and I haven't had a chance to go get dressed or anything." She was happy she wasn't lying to him at least. Then the sigh over the phone gave Sharpay the signal that Ryan was disappointed. "But I will still be there. I have a dress here at the boutique so I can just meet you there."

"Are you sure? If you don't want to come you don't…"

Sharpay cut her brother off mid-sentence. "Ryan, spare me the guilt trip. I'll meet you out front in fifteen minutes."

"Thanks, I'll be waiting." And with that, she closed her flip phone and placed in back in to her Louis. It's not that she doesn't want to hang out with her brother but it seems like every time he visits her once a year, she is dragged to another off-Broadway musical. As if he was trying to show her what she could be doing if she stuck with singing and performing.

"Hey, want me to call you a cab? Traffic around this time sucks." Julie walked around the corner from the office, waving the cordless phone in the air.

"No, I'll just drive. But can you do me a favor? Go inside the closet and take out the sky blue baby doll dress for me, the one with the braided straps. I'm going to go into the bathroom and do my make-up and fix my horrible hair." Reaching for her bag, she looked over at Julie who had already made her way in to the closet.

An assistant, a successful independent business, a nice loft and car; her life was almost perfect. There were only two things missing that could complete the package; a loving boyfriend and happiness. Both are so hard to find, especially in such a large city like New York.

At a quarter till nine, a silver BMW pulled up to the front of the small auditorium. The door swung open, as two creamy white legs followed. Sharpay stepped out of her car, handing the valet her keys as she stepped onto the sidewalk where Ryan was standing.

"You look ravishing, as always." Ryan said, as he walked up to his sister, hugging her tightly.

"You too," She smiled, knowing that that's what he always says every time he sees her. "So what are we seeing tonight?"

"_I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. _I know a couple of people in it and they suggested I should come see it." Ryan handed Sharpay her ticket as they walked into the fairly crowded auditorium.

The two hours she had sat there were not as bad as she thought it was going to be. She didn't bother flipping through the playbill; she wasn't that interested. But she still had that spot in her heart for music and performing. The one thing that caught her eye in the play though was not a scene or song but a performer. A lean, muscular actor that sang and danced across the stage had pretty much made Sharpay watch the whole entire thing. He reminded her of some one. Some one she had to force herself to forget. Some one she came to terms with the fact that she couldn't have.

As the auditorium cleared out, Ryan and Sharpay remained there, standing on the stage waiting for his friends to come out of the dressing room. Sharpay walked around, looking at the lights and the array of seating in front of her. She then immediately flashed back to her last year in high school; her last musical.

"Hey Shar, come over here." Sharpays train of thought was derailed by the voice of her brother call from the side of the stage.

She slowly walked over there, noticing that Ryan was standing with a few guys, most likely his friends who were in the play. Light brown hair caught her eye but she couldn't see the face; Ryan was standing in front of him. She walked a little quicker and soon came to a stop behind Ryan.

Ryan stepped aside and Sharpays heart nearly hit the ground. She lost her breathe as things went blurry for a second. Then things went back to reality as she finally realized who it was.

_Troy._

_Troy Bolton._

"Hey Sharpay, long time no see." Troy seemed happy to see her as he walked passed the other guys to give her a hug.

_His smell._

_His touch._

After the embrace, Sharpay still couldn't believe it was _him_. She still hadn't said a word; all she could do was stare in disbelief.

"Are you that surprised that I'm here that you can't speak?" Troy said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Sharpay shook her head. "No, I just can't believe…what are you doing here?" It was hard for her to get anything out of her mouth.

Troy laughed, backing away from her and giving her a confused look. "I never thought I'd see the day that Sharpay Evans, the 'Ice Queen', would be at a loss for words." He looked up and down at her, noticing that she still couldn't believe that he was there. "So I guess we have some catching up to do?"


	2. Closer

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly.But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** Thank you **EVERYONE **for your awesome commentsand reviews. I loved every single one of them and they make me really **really **giddy. No joke, I giggle like an idiot when I read them. But here is the second chapter, fully equipped with **a lot **more Sharpay and Troy moments and a little more insight into the past few years of their lives after graduation. Hope you all enjoy and the next chapter will be up as soon as possible!

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #002: **Closer**

"So how did you end up in the wonderfully polluted New York City?" Sharpay asked Troy as she moved one of her soft blonde curls away from her face.

Moments after their surprise encounter with each other, Sharpay and Troy had made plans to have a midnight walk in Central Park. They wanted to catch up with one another, see how each other have been but Sharpays heart was a little torn. For the past couple of months, she has been thinking a lot about Troy and how much she liked or could've even loved him. She didn't know how to act around him or what to say.

A breeze of cool air blew past them as they made their way down the curved sidewalk. Sharpay shivered and tightened the straps on her crème, faux-leather trench coat. She had managed to change at her place before going to Central Park where Troy was waiting.

Noticing the small girl next to him shake, Troy used his basic male instinct and gently place his pinstriped blazer over her shoulders. "That better?"

Sharpay smiled but lowered her head, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. "Yeah, thank you."

Troy smiled, happy that he for once made the 'Ice Queen' act a little shy. "Well, are you sure you want to hear my sad life story?"

"I don't know…are you going to cry?" Sharpay asked, holding the blazer closed at the neck line.

"That's definitely possible."

"Well, in that case, let me hear it."

Troy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at her with a huge grin on his face. "So you pretty much only want to see me cry?"

"Hey, how many times a day do you get to see a grown man cry?"

"Everyday," He shot another grin at her as they made their way to a park bench underneath a light post. "Do you not remember the tragic ending of the musical I play in?"

Sharpay laughed as she took a seat on the bench, keeping a friendly distance away from Troy. "Well I'm not so fortunate, so spill the beans, Bolton."

He had no choice but to speak up. He knew how Sharpay was back in high school; she never took 'no' for an answer. And from the looks of things, she hasn't really changed all that much. "I've actually only been here for a month and I've been staying with one of the guys in the musical. I used to go to college with him and he told me about this great off-Broadway play that he was trying out for and suggested I should try-out also. So I did and a couple of weeks later, I ended up here."

Sharpay just sat there and stared at him for a second. Troy Bolton, Basketball superstar, was now a singing and dancing drama boy. "Wow, I'm actually a little surprised. I figured you would be playing in the NFL, shooting hoops and scoring goals."

"You know all those terms you just used are from three different sports, right?"

"Whatever," Sharpay then shot Troy her old-fashioned 'ice queen' stare. "Do I look like I watch sports?"

"Right," Troy grinned, realizing that the Sharpay he knew in high school hasn't changed much. "Well, I was playing Basketball for Duke University but I tore my ACL during a game. After a few surgeries they told me I couldn't play anymore so I went to something that I was good at and that I could still do." His grin fell as well as his head. It was hard for him to talk about the end of his lifelong dream of being in the NBA.

"I'm so sorry Troy," Sharpay scooted closer to him, placing her hand on his knee.

Troy looked into Sharpays beautiful blue eyes while placing his hand on top of hers. There was a silence between them as they just sat there, staring into each other. This was the moment that Sharpay has always wanted to experience during high school. She never had the chance, especially when Troy started dating Gabriella Montez; the schools smartest star of the musicals. Sharpay was jealous; jealous of the fact that, not only did Gabriella get the hottest guy at East High but every leading role in every musical the school held until they graduated. Everything she wanted, Gabriella took from her.

A few moments passed before Sharpay realized what was going on and she quickly pulled her hand away from Troys knee. She held her head down, slightly embarrassed by her sudden action. "So…where are you staying?"

A certain awkwardness filled the air as Troy looked over to Sharpay, who had moved a couple of inches away from him. "I'm staying in an apartment, right down the street from the auditorium where we do the play. What about you?"

Sharpay looked up at Troy, his face lit up by the street light near the bench they were sitting at. "I actually only live a couple of miles down the street. If you have time, do you want to come over, maybe have a drink?"

Troy smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

The walk to Sharpays loft was quite, along with the elevator ride up to her floor. She could only think about his touch on her hand and where this trip to her place might lead. It made her nervous; especially since they haven't talked about recent relationships they have or are currently in.

After digging in her designer handbag for her keys, she finally unlocked the door to her loft and walked in as Troy followed behind her. "Make yourself at home." She said, closing the door behind them and immediately heading to her bedroom.

Troy looked around the enormous living space in awe. Everything was white; white furniture and white walls which had pieces of artwork on them which for the most part were, black and white. He made his way over to the large loft window and took a seat at the small dining table near it. There was a notebook sitting in front of him, with an ash tray and coffee mug next to it.

"So what do you want to drink?" Sharpay asked, emerging from her bedroom with her hair up in a ponytail.

Troy looked up at her, watching her as she made her way over to the refrigerator. "Well what do you have?"

"I have beer, coffee and Diet Coke." She said, smiling at him.

"I'll take a beer."

Sharpay leaned down and came out of the refrigerator holding two long-neck bottles of Bud Lite. She popped the caps off with a bottle opener, walked over to Troy and handed him one while taking a seat across from him at the table.

"I can't believe you live here. This place is…amazing." Troy said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, it better be for three grand a month." Sharpay laughed, as did Troy.

"I wish I would have known you lived here sooner. I run on this street once a week because of my physical therapy. I could've stopped by and said 'Hello'."

As soon as Troy said that, Sharpays eyes shot to her notebook which was in front of him.

_That was him. _

_A guy with brown hair wearing a track suit out on his morning jog._

_That guy was Troy._

"Sharpay," Her eyes shot up to Troys. "Are you feeling okay?"

She immediately nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." Grabbing her purse, she dug inside and pulled out her pack of Marlboro Ultra Lights. "Do you mind?" She asked politely.

"If you don't mind?" He asked, pulling a pack of Newports out of his pocket.

Sharpay laughed as she lit her cigarette and handed the lighter to Troy. "You know those things are going to kill you right?"

"Really? I didn't know that." Troys sarcastic tone and grin on his face made Sharpay laugh harder as he lit his cigarette up. "So I told you all about how I made it to NYC, it's your turn now."

Sharpays laughter subsided as she took a drag and blew the smoke to the side. "Well it's a long story, do you have time?"

"It's one in the morning Sharpay and I am wide awake."

"Well you asked for it." Sharpay playfully cleared her throat and took a sip of her beer. "After graduation, I went to UCLA and began working on my major in theater. When I was there I met this guy that was majoring in music. We started off as friends and then we dated my second year in college. He graduated that year but wasn't going to stay in California. He wanted to move here and I told him he could go but I loved him and would miss him very much."

Sharpays voice had gotten a lot more serious and Troy listened to her attentively. She put out her cigarette, took another sip of her beer and sighed. "That's when he proposed to me. I said yes and before I knew it, I had dropped out of school, packed all of my stuff and had been disowned by my parents. I came here and absolutely could not find one job. I tried out for nearly a dozen musicals, and got to all the call-backs but never got the part. At the same time, my relationship was having problems. We broke up on my twentieth birthday and after that I went to design school, opened up my own boutique and have been single ever since." She took one more big sip before throwing the empty bottle in to her trash bin. "And that was pretty much the last five years of my life in a nut shell."

"That didn't take long at all." Troy said, trying to put a smile back on the beautiful blondes face.

"Yeah, I don't like talking about it so I decided to make it short and sweet." Sharpays face was still sad.

"Then let's talk about something else. Something more…positive."

3 hours passed by and Troy and Sharpays conversation never ended. They had gone through everything from music, movies, old school memories, as well as a few more beers. Sharpay was more then a little tipsy while Troy was practically still sober.

"It's been awesome Shar, but it's four and I think you should go lay down." Troy got up from his chair and helped Sharpay get on her feet.

"I think you're right Troy. You're always right." Her drunken jabber made Troy laugh a little.

He slowly led her into the bedroom, which like the rest of the loft, was completely white. Lifting her into the soft bed, Troy gently pulled off her high-heel boots and tucked her in as she began to drift off into sleep. He stopped for a second to look at her face. Moving a curl away from her face, he leaned in close. Those deliciously pink lips that he wanted to kiss so badly glimmered from a ray of moonlight coming from the window. He stepped back; he couldn't do it.

Troy smiled at the sleeping girl and turned to leave but felt a tug at his hand. "Please don't leave." It was Sharpay; her eyes were closed but she seemed to be talking in her sleep.

Troy leaned back down and whispered into her ear. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sharpay then turned her head. Their faces were so close as she opened her eyes and gazed into his. "Please, don't leave me."

He looked at her, those blue eyes filled with tears. "I won't leave." Troy whispered as he took off his tennis shoes, and climbed into bed, holding Sharpay close as they both fell asleep together.


	3. Dreamer

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly. But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait on this chapter and thank you to everyone for your patience. With spring break and everything it's been really hard to find time to sit down and focus all my energy on writing. But now that I have I hope you all enjoy. Y'all have been so awesome with your comments and everything; it makes me happy that I decided to write this story. You know reviews make me all giddy so keep on writing them.

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #003: **Dreamer**

_The bright blue sky…_

_Fluffy white clouds…_

_Freshly cut green grass…_

_Beautiful red and green leaves…_

_The most colorful day I had ever seen; the last day I would ever spend with the man I love, or…loved. _

_We stood in front of one of the gorgeous fountains in Central Park. This fall was the best I had ever seen since I moved to New York. The beautiful colors made it the perfect day to go out on an early afternoon walk through the park. It was too bad that the scheduled trip wasn't going to turn out to perfect. _

_Her name was Misty Valentine, a model that was auditioning for the same part I was in an off-Broadway musical; a musical my fiancé had written the score for. _

_Luckily, I decided to go home instead of on an audition and stumbled upon my naked fiancé, with a naked woman, in OUR bed. After throwing an antique vase, which I absolutely adored, against the wall (I was actually aiming for that bitches head but sadly, I missed) I stormed out, bringing a few essential necessities with me; Clothes, lip-gloss and cigarettes._

_I spent the next few days in some crap New York hotel, thinking about where my life was going. The room that I was in was disgusting but there was one thing that it had that could've possibly helped me make some rather difficult decisions. It was a room with a view; a view of the city streets and the millions of people that walked and drove down them everyday. _

_I had made up my mind. My life went full circle when I became engaged. But the question is did I do this for me, or for him? _

_He called me fours days after I caught him with Misty in our house. He wanted to meet in Central Park, thinking if we were in a public place I wouldn't punch his lights out. He was right but not because we were in public but I had just got my nails done the day before and I would've been pissed if I broke one off in his face._

_He told me I was self-centered, inconsiderate of his feelings and I didn't know how to take care of a man. Are you fucking kidding me? So, in telling me that, I pretty much figured he only proposed to me and took me to New York because he wanted some proper house wife that would cook and clean all day. _

_SCREW THAT SHIT!_

_So I politely handed him the beautiful engagement ring he had given me and told him to have a good life. In return, he grabbed my hand and put the ring back on my finger. Then he told me to have a happy birthday._

_Yeah, happy twentieth birthday Sharpay._

_Three years and I'm still dreaming about it for some reason. A lot has happened between now and then and I keep wondering to myself, is it possible that I still love him?_

_I have done so many things to make up for what I have lost. _

_Design school…_

_A successful business…_

_My own home…_

_But it seems like I'm missing something. And then all of a sudden I start thinking back to high school and the last few months I spent in Albuquerque. My ex-boyfriend Zeke, who is actually still a really good friend of mine, has called me and told me everything that goes on back home. _

_I guess I was the only one who picked up everything and moved across the country without even looking back. _

_Taylor and Chad are married and expecting their first child in May._

_Kelsi just got done writing her first musical which is going to be performed on Broadway._

_Gabriella…well from what Zeke heard, she is about to get married and is going to be a doctor. Whatever. _

_And then there was Troy…_

"Troy?"

Hearing a voice from another room, Troy immediately closed the notebook sitting on the small dining table near the window. He woke up around six and watched Sharpay sleep until he made his way to the kitchen to make coffee. That's when he noticed the notebook sitting on the table where they had previously shared a night of drinking and talking. He wasn't trying to be nosey but he just wanted to know a little more about Sharpay. He felt like she wasn't telling him everything that's been going on in her life and it's now obvious that she wasn't.

Troy got up from his chair and poured a cup of coffee inside of a large white coffee mug. The black liquid steamed and filled the air with the rich smell of the morning drink. He slowly walked his way, coffee mug in hand, to the bedroom. He peeked his head inside the room and saw Sharpays naked back as she put on a men's long sleeve button-up shirt.

Taken aback by the sight of Sharpay, Troy moved away from the door and leaned his back against the wall. Her beauty was radiant, especially as such an early time of the morning. After catching his breath, he walked back up to the doorway and knocked quietly on the side of the wall. There was no answer, so he decided to just go in.

"Sharpay?" He didn't know where she was as he made his way into the room. The bed was made and the curtains were open, allowing the morning sunlight shine into the room.

"I'm in here Troy." The voice came from around the corner and through another doorway.

He made his way through the room and came upon Sharpay, fingering through her closet full of clothes. Everything was organized by color; whites, pinks, blues and greens. Troy saw that Sharpays fashion was still very much the same; very couture.

"I made some coffee." Troy said, handing Sharpay one of the hot mugs. "I didn't know how you liked it so I brought some creamer and sugar." Sharpay giggled as pulled out a bottle of French vanilla creamer from his back pocket and packets of sugar from the other.

"Thanks," Sharpay smiled at Troy as she put a little of both inside the mug. "So what do you have planned today?"

"I have a cast meeting and rehearsal this afternoon." He watched as the blonde looked through more clothes and took a sip of her coffee. "What about you?"

Sharpay then pulled a silky navy blue dress off of the rack and examined it while taking another sip from her mug. "I actually have a meeting this afternoon with a potentially lucrative client." She held the dress up to her body and did a little pose for Troy. "How does this look?"

Troy looked up and down Sharpays perfect body and was amazed. Her bare, long, creamy white legs and her petite body made his heart strings tug a little. He thought to himself for a second, ''Why didn't I ever see her like this when we were in high school?"

All of a sudden there was a snap in front of Troy's face. "Earth to Troy," It was Sharpay and she stood there looking at him with a smile on her face. "Are you okay?"

Embarrassed and turning beet red, Troy quickly lowered his head. "Yeah, you look really good."

Sharpay giggled and walked out of her closet and placed the dress on her bed. "Well I'm going to go take a shower. Are you going to stick around, maybe have some breakfast?"

"Yeah, breakfast, sounds great." Troy was stuttering due to the fact that he was still a little red-faced from the earlier situation.

"Cool, I'll be right back."

As Sharpay entered the shower, Troy walked out to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast; Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. The whole hour and a half Sharpay spent getting ready gave him an ample amount of time to smoke a cigarette and make the perfect meal for them to share.

Troy picked up the two plates he made for the both of them and placed them on the table near the window. Everything was garnished with mint and a single red rose in a bottle made the mood a little more romantic. Sharpay walked out of her room just as he set them down and was a little confused as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "You cook, Troy Bolton?"

Troy laughed at that little stab at him. "No, the delivery boy is actually still at the door. I still need to go tip him."

"Awe, well that's too bad. I always thought it was sexy when a man could cook." Sharpay said as she made her way over to the table.

"Well in that case…"

"Oops, sorry, you can't change your story now."

For the next half hour, Sharpay and Troy sat there eating together, joking around about different things that happened while they have been away from high school. It seemed like they never ran out of anything to talk about.

Wiping his mouth with a paper towel, Troy set his fork on his plate and began to reach for Sharpays. "Let me get this out of the way for you."

"Don't even think about it, Bolton." Sharpay barked, grabbing his wrist and shooting that 'ice queen' stare. "You cooked for me, the least I could do is the dishes. Plus, you stink, so go get in the shower, I'll clean up."

"Are you serious?" Troy said, lifting up his armpit and smelling it. He gave Sharpay a funny look. "Is it okay? I mean I could always go back to my place and shower."

"Don't be silly. You're already here and plus you have to go to work soon." Sharpay got up from her seat and grabbed the plates from Troy. "Now go; the towels are in the bathroom closet and if you want to use cherry blossom shampoo, conditioner and body wash, be my guest."

Taking the plates to the stainless steel sinks, Sharpay watched as Troy walked in to her bedroom where the only bathroom in the loft was located. Scrubbing one of the plates with a sponge, she couldn't help but wear a smile on her face. This man, who she hasn't seen in almost five years and wasn't really friends with through out high school, has all of a sudden become someone she is letting stay the night and use her body wash.

But where this was all going to, she didn't know. The topic of Troy's marital status still hasn't come up and she doesn't want to cross any kind of unwanted territory.

In the middle of her dish washing, Sharpay heard a distant ringing that she couldn't quite make out. Then she heard a cheerful tone and recognized what it was; her cell phone.

She made her way to her bedroom and to her side table where her cell phone was plugged in to the charger. Picking it up and flipping it open, there was a little notice reading _One Missed Call_ and a name next to it; _Jay_.

Before walking out of the room, something caught her eye. She forgot her loft had no doors and she could see right into the bathroom, directly at the shower. Troys perfectly tanned naked figure, shown through the fogged shower glass, made Sharpays mind rush. His head was leaned back as he washed his hair and body and Sharpay couldn't help but stare for a few quick seconds before running out of her room.

Once she made it back into her kitchen, Sharpay just leaned against the counters, trying to catch her breath. She stumbled trying to pull out a cigarette and her hands shook as she tried to light it up.

"Hey Shar," The voice from behind her made Sharpay spin around, a cloud of smoke escaping her mouth at the same time. "Was that my phone ringing?"

"No, no, no, that was just my phone." Sharpays stuttering was very reminiscent of how Troy sounded after looking at her.

"Good, I just looked at my watch and I'm running late. I was hoping my cast mates weren't calling to bitch me out." Troy rushed to put on his shoes. "I'm sorry I have to run out of here so fast but I really have to go."

Grabbing his cell phone and pack of Newports off of the counter, he walked over to the door and Sharpay followed right behind him. "Well, call me later. I'll just be at the boutique if you want to meet for dinner or something."

Troy smiled at her. "I'd like that," Feeling a spark between the two of them, Troy leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers. "It's great to finally see you again, Sharpay." And with a wave goodbye, Troy walked out of the door and Sharpay shut it behind him.

She was in complete shock. She turned around and sat against the door, thinking about the one thing she had always wanted and finally got. But something still didn't feel right. She hugged her legs close to her body and put her head against her knees. With a deep sigh, she lifted her head back up and brushed a few curls out of her face.

_What have you gotten yourself into, Sharpay Evans? _


	4. Stranger

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly. But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** WOOT! I'm back and with another chapter that took me forever to write because I had a little writers block and couldn't think of anything. But once I finally did, ideas were just flowing out and now I'm excited to write. I also really like how this is going so far and I'm glad a lot of people enjoy reading it. But this chapter is where all the drama begins. I will be introducing **Gabriella Montez** into the story and also an original character named** Jackson Shaw** who just happens to be **Sharpays** EX-fiancé (If I were to describe what he looks like, I would picture him being a spitting image of **Jared Padalecki **from **House of Wax** and **Supernatural**. He's so hot XD). What will **Sharpay **do when he comes back? **Read** and **review** and all that good stuff. I want to hit **thirty** to **thirty-five** reviews. That's a big goal and I hope this chapter is good enough to earn them. Love Y'all!

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #004: **Stranger**

The past few days have been some of the best days in Sharpays life. Ever since Troy had spent the night, and the kiss he left with her the next day, they have been inseparable. Whenever they had the chance to be together they were. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, movies, musicals and plays; they did it all. But to Sharpay it was like they were best friends; nothing less, nothing more.

The situation was beginning to really bother her. Was this going anywhere; she didn't know. She didn't even know if she really wanted it to go anywhere. She has a successful business and a beautiful home; why mess it all up with something she doesn't even know she wants?

This strange twist of fate that Troy brought into Sharpays life was very bittersweet. She had just made it into her office in the back of her boutique before her assistant came running in, frantic as always.

"I am so sorry I am late Sharpay. I promise it will not happen…"

"Jay, don't worry about it." Julie was confused. Usually Sharpay would be furious, demanding her coffee and list of clients she had scheduled for the day. "Here, I got you a Venti non-fat Caramel Machiatio with no foam. We've got a busy day and a lot of people to see."

The short, red-headed assistant was completely lost. The fact Sharpay was being extremely nice to her, especially for being late, was really odd. She took the cup of coffee and walked to the front counter. "Well, um, do you need me to go to the fabric store for you?"

"No need, I already went."

"Is everything okay, Sharpay?"

"Everything's cool. Why do you ask?" Sharpay said, looking up from a bunch of paperwork Julie usually does when she comes into work.

"I don't know; you just seem more…happier" Julie was afraid to say words like 'nicer', 'friendlier' or 'kind'.

"Really? I haven't noticed."

Julie smiled, realizing the reasoning behind Sharpays sudden happiness. "Could it be because of a certain man that calls almost everyday asking to speak to you?"

The statement made Sharpay giggle. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

Julie just grinned, knowing she was right. "Uh huh…" Just then the boutique phone rang and Julie picked it up. "This is Jay, how can I help you?" A few seconds passed and Julies grin grew bigger. "Okay, hold on one second." Sharpay noticed her grin as the phone was passed to her. "It's _Troy_…" Julie made sure she emphasized his name to make a point.

Snatching the phone with a smile on her face, Sharpay put the phone to her ear. "Hey Troy, what's up?"

"Hey Sharpay," Troy didn't sound as enthusiastic to hear her voice as she was when she heard his. "Uh, I can't make it for lunch today. A friend of mine from college made an unexpected visit and she wants me to go run some errands with her."

'She' was the only word that she heard in his explanation. "She could always come to lunch with us if she wanted to." And saying it made her stomach hurt.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea." Troy's response was quick and almost on the verge of being defensive.

What if it was his girlfriend he never told her about? She didn't want to jump to conclusions. It would make her seem like a girl who was possessive over her best guy friend. But that may not be an all too inaccurate statement. "Oh, well that's okay. I guess we can just reschedule right."

"Of course, I'll give you a call later, okay?"

"Sure," Sharpay was trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up the phone, Sharpay sighed. Who was this mystery friend and why wouldn't Troy introduce them to each other?

"Hey Shar, you have a visitor up front." Her assistant said as she grabbed her purse and coat. "I'll be right back, I just have to go to the bank and deposit the checks from our last two clients."

Sharpay had to try hard to smile. "Okay, I'll see you in a little bit."

As Julie headed out of the boutique, Sharpay got up and walked to the front of the store. She was stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who it was.

"Hey Sharpay, long time no see." The tall, dark and handsome man in front of her immediately removed his sunglasses and made his way around the front counter to give her a hug.

When he tried to wrap his arms around her, she stopped him with one hand against his chest. "Jackson, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome" was none other than Jackson Shaw; the ex-fiancé that cheated on Sharpay three years ago. In some ways, which she would never admit, she still loved him. But now with Troy back in her life and possible chemistry growing between them, getting back with Jackson was not an option.

"Well 'Hello!' to you too, Darlin'." Even though Sharpay hated his guts, she still thought that slight country accent Jackson has is very sexy. He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on top of her shoulders, massaging them a little. "You're lookin' good, Sharpay."

She looked up at him, staring in to his big brown eyes. "I'm busy and I have a client coming in soon so if you can please leave, I need to get to work." Sharpay broke free from his hands and made her way back to her work space.

"C'mon Shar, I know you're probably still bitter about that whole thing with Misty and I understand I said things that were hurtful but," He paused for a second and walked closer to Sharpay as she sat down in her chair. "I still love you. Through this whole situation and after all the stupid shit that I have done, I truly, honestly, from the bottom of my heart still love you, Sharpay Evans."

The tears welling up in his eyes were making Sharpay confused. Was he doing this to make her feel bad or was he truly being sincere? She could never properly read Jackson. He always had a hidden agenda and used Sharpay whenever he needed to get something. But could he have changed for the better? Maybe he is the man now that she once thought he was.

"Jackson," She stood up from her chair and looked him straight in the eyes. "I have finally become a happy person. You know that my whole life was been bent on trying to please others but now I am finally doing things for myself." She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look, I am not seeing anyone right now. I don't even know if I want to start dating again. I'm just not ready for that yet."

Jackson nodded his head and looked down at Sharpay, her icy blue eyes looking straight in to him. "I understand," He took her hands off his shoulders and held them lightly in his. "But hey, I just came back from Texas and I would love to see you sometime, sweetheart." Just then, as he finished his sentence, he leaned down and kissed Sharpay gently on her perfectly glossed lips.

She didn't know what to do. Pulling away would be rude but at the same time, she didn't love Jackson. Troy was the one she wanted to be with and even though it was hard to admit at times, deep down she really loved him. But maybe she had only suppressed those feelings she had for Jackson?

Jackson slowly pulled away from the kiss, his eyes closed as he cherished every moment he had just spent with Sharpay. He licked his lips, still only an inch away from her face, and whispered in her ear, "Watermelon lip gloss; you haven't changed that much, Sharpay Evans."

Suddenly, the salon door swung open and Sharpay, out of impulsive reaction, quickly moved away from Jackson. "Oh my god," The voice immediately caught her attention as she moved her hand away from her face, hiding it just in case it was someone she knew. Then she saw the curly black hair and the dark brown skin. She knew who it was and wished it wasn't her at all.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Gabriella Montez. Didn't expect to ever run in to you again." Sharpay smiled as she walked from behind the counter to where Gabriella was standing. "Now just don't stand there, give me a hug!"

The two girls embraced and giggled as if they were in high school. Sharpay never really liked her but what else would she do; kick her ass and throw her out of the store? That thought did cross her mind though.

As the two hugged, Jackson cleared his throat, being loud enough so the two girls could hear him. "Oh," Sharpay stepped back from Gabriella but kept her distance away from Jackson. "Gabriella, this is Jackson, a _friend _of mine." She made sure she emphasized the word 'friend' so he wouldn't get the wrong impression. "Jackson, this is Gabriella, an old friend from high school in Albuquerque."

As they exchanged hand shakes and 'hellos', Sharpay couldn't help but think to herself. "What are the two people I despise the most in the whole entire world doing here…at the same time?"

"I actually have to go; I'll leave y'all to catch up." Jackson gave Sharpay one last hug before walking towards the door. "It was great seeing you again, Sharpay, and it was good to meet you, Gabriella." With that, he walked out the door and made his was down the sidewalk.

When he was out of sight, Gabriella immediately broke out in to girlish excitement like they were back in high school. "Wow, he is so hot! You guys are dating right?"

The statement made Sharpay laugh. "No way," She made her way back to her work space and took a seat. "So what brings you to this part of the country?"

Gabriella took a seat on the other side of the table and held out her hand, showing off a huge diamond engagement ring. "I'm getting married," Sharpay was memorized by the ring as she admired its size and shape. "And I actually wanted to ask you about doing my wedding dress."

Sharpay looked up from Gabriella's hand and then at her, a surprised look on her face. "Are you serious? I would love to make your dress." She was being so nice to her self-proclaimed nemesis, that it killed her. But business was business and if she was going to pay, that's all that mattered to Sharpay.

A couple hours passed as Sharpay and Gabriella went through all the things that would make Gabriella the dream dress. It made her sick; someone she doesn't like is happier then her. And she doesn't look bad either. To Sharpay, Gabriella looks exactly the same as she did back at East High. The only thing different was that she dressed a little sexier. She could tell Gabriella had a big confidence boost, and probably not for the better. And she had to remind herself to give Ryan a swift kick in the nuts for telling Gabriella that she was a designer.

"Oh my god, my fiancé was supposed to be here by now so he could go through all of this with me. Where could he be?" Gabriella looked at her phone, noticing that it was half past two and becoming very impatient.

Sharpay just focused at the job at hand. Gabriella was asking for a lot; strapless, sequins, silk chiffon, a corset top with a long and flowing bottom. She was definitely one of her more demanding customers.

"He better be here soon, I have a plane to catch at five and I cannot miss it." Gabriella was turning into one of those crazy bitch brides that Sharpay sees way too often.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sharpay tried to calm her down so she wouldn't freak out.

"Well, I'm going back home to Albuquerque. I only came here to see you and my fiancé. He's lives here for work." Her voice was beginning to smooth out and she had stopped the extensive fidgeting.

"Really, what does your fiancé do?"

"You might be surprised when I tell you, but he's a…" Gabriella was cut off as the two heard the front door of the boutique close. "I bet that's him now." She shot up and walked to the front of the store.

When Gabriella left, Sharpay got up, adjusting her skirt and making sure her hair looks okay. Parts of her were pissed at the fact that Gabriella was happy and parts of her were happy for Gabriella for the fact that she was happy. She felt the urge to call Troy right away and tell him about her day; how crazy it was and how it was one unexpected turn after another.

As Sharpay reached for her purse to get her cell phone, Gabriella walked back in to the back of the boutique. "Sharpay," When she said her name, Sharpay looked up from her purse and immediately had the wind knocked out of her. The very last person she thought it was going to be, it was. "Troy and I are getting married."

Troy had just as much of a surprised look on his face as Sharpay did. He had no idea he was walking in to Sharpays boutique and almost wished he hadn't.

She forced a smile to form on her face, as if she hadn't seen him in years, even though it was just yesterday that they had dinner together. Sharpay couldn't help but think to herself; _Perfect Gabriella Montez wins again. _


	5. Messenger

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly. But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** So here is Chapter Number Five. A little late but I've been trying to get this posted as soon as possible. Anyways, a huge **THANKS **to everyone who read and reviewed. I hit my goal and when I saw that, I jumped for joy. A few things; sorry about the whole blue eyes thing. I never really paid attention to **Ashley Tisdales **eye color so I just made a wild guess and said they were blue. And as for **Gabriella**, I like her character but not with Troy. I think she would be the girl I would want to fight in school just because of her "I'm shy but inside I know I'm the shit" demeanor and whiny attitude. So yeah, I just wanted to clear that up right quick. Now, to the chapter information; I know this is sounding a lot like **The Wedding Planner** but it's going to be nothing like it…I hope. There's, obviously, a lot of **Sharpay** in this chapter with some **Troy **added in and a pinch of **Jackson** (I love his character for some reason…maybe because I picture him as **Jared Padalecki**. Mmmm…**Jared Padalecki**) making this a big ol' pot of drama goodness.** Ryan **also makes a special appearance in this chapter. I decided to make him gay, which I wouldn't normally do (I'm a total **Ryan** **X** **Kelsi** fan) but it kind of fits in to where I'm going with this story. There's also a continuation of this chapter which will be most likely half of the next one because I wrote so much I decided to split it into two chapters. So I hope all of y'all enjoy this one. You know the routine; read, review, rinse and repeat. Or maybe those are the directions on my shampoo bottle…

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #005: **Messenger **

_You have five unheard messages._

_Message number one; "Hey Sharpay, this is Troy. I just wanted to tell you that I'm-"_

_Message deleted. Message number two; "Sharpay, it's Troy again. Please-"_

_Message deleted. Message number three; "Hey sweetheart, it's Jackson. I just wanted to know what you were doing Friday night. I just bought my new apartment and wanted to know if you could come over, maybe play some music and have some dinner. Give me a call, you know my number." _

_Message kept. Message number four; "Please talk to me Sharpay, I would really like to explain-"_

_Message deleted. Message number five; "Hey sis, it's Ryan. Give me a call. I need to talk to you and maybe I can stop by your place later-"_

_Message deleted. You have no more unheard messages. To play saved messages, press one._

"Dammit," Sharpay said under her breathe while smashing down keys on her phone.

Ever since her encounter with both Gabriella and Troy at her boutique earlier that week, her train of thought was derailed and she couldn't think straight. She really wouldn't have been so upset about it but the fact that Troy hadn't mentioned it to her really pissed her off. And the kiss; the kiss that left Sharpay wanting more. It was like he was leading her on and Sharpay, ever since high school, was never one to be played with and then tossed to the side.

Legs sprawled across her love seat; she began dialing her brother's phone number. She didn't mean to delete his voice message, only all of Troy's. As the ringing began, she examined her fingernails and thought to herself, "Damn, I need a manicure."

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line was someone whose voice she didn't recognize.

"Oops, sorry; I think I have the wrong number." Sharpay figured she must've dialed the wrong number on accident.

"Is this Sharpay?" She then became very confused and little afraid. Who was this man and how did he know her name?

"Yeah…is Ryan there?"

"Yeah, hold on one second." His voice became faint as he pulled the phone away from his face and covered the receiver with his hand. "Ryan, your sister is on the phone for you."

A few seconds of silence passed before Sharpay heard a little bit of a rustling noise and then her brother pick up the phone with an excited "Hello?"

"Hey, who was that?" Sharpay knew exactly who it was, but didn't want to seem too forward with her assumptions.

"Well, his name is Luke, he's twenty-five, brown hair, green eyes and he's a personal trainer." She was right; Ryan's new boyfriend. She always knew her brother was gay and she was perfectly fine with it. Whatever made him happy, made her happy. Plus, she always had a shopping buddy whenever he came to town once a year.

"Sounds hot; so I caught some of your message and you mentioned something about coming over later?"

"I actually wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner tonight. I only have a couple of days left in New York and I want you to meet Luke before I go."

She thought about her plans and now that her and Troy weren't exactly talking, she figured why the hell not. "Sure, I'll make Mom's old lasagna recipe and you bring the wine. How does seven sound?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you then, sis."

Sharpay closed her phone, ending the phone call. She got up and headed over to her kitchen to check her refrigerator and cabinet for all the ingredients she needed. Pulling out different items and beginning to start the meal immediately. If she stopped moving or doing something, she would begin to think and thinking wasn't a good thing for her to do right now.

Six o'clock had come along and Sharpays lasagna was inside the oven. She had also made a salad, cookies, garlic bread and a pitcher of iced tea. Keeping herself busy was hard, so she just cooked. She always enjoyed cooking, especially with her mother while growing up. Her mom started her off at cleaning vegetables, and then stirring batters and when she was old enough to handle a knife without cutting herself, she let her make full blown meals all by herself.

She opened her cabinet and started to pull out plates and silverware when her cell phone vibrated across her marble counters. The screen read 'Jackson' and she was a little scared to answer. Flipping open the phone, she sighed before saying "Hello?"

"Did ya get my message?" Sharpay set down a small stack of napkins on the counter before leaning against the refrigerator, cooing on the inside over Jackson's Texas born accent.

"Yes, I did and I actually have a fitting to do that night with a client." She could hear on the other line Jackson releasing a sigh of disappointment. Sharpay felt bad and couldn't believe what she was about to do. "But, I'm having a good homemade dinner tonight with Ryan and his new boyfriend, would you like to join us?"

There was a silence on the other line for a second. "Sure, I'd love to!" Jackson seemed ecstatic and was probably a little thrown off guard with Sharpays invitation.

"Great, so be here in about an hour?"

"I'll be there."

After hanging up the phone with Jackson, Sharpay walked over to her closet and flipped through all of her clothes. To her, inviting Jackson over to dinner was an attempt to resolve unsolved problems so maybe; just maybe, they could at least be friends. She was worried he might've gotten the wrong impression.

Grabbing a white silk scarf and tying it behind her straight blonde hair like a headband, she couldn't help but think of Troy. She was so angry at him and she should hate him but for some reason, the feelings she's always had, the feelings she's had since high school, will not go away. She kept glancing back and forth at her cell phone while adjusting her emerald green halter. All she wanted to do was call him but then she stopped and wondered, 'Why?'

"You love him, that's why! Stupid!" She thought to herself. Filled with mixed emotions she grabbed her phone and began searching for his number in her phone book. Finding it, she took a deep breath before pressing the 'Call' button. It rang and rang, and then rang some more.

As soon as Troy picked up, her doorbell rang and Sharpay quickly shut her phone, ending the call before it even started. She threw her cell on to her bed as she made her way out of her room and to the door. She adjusted her flowing white bohemian skirt before swinging the loft door open.

"Sis," Ryan walked in and swallowed Sharpay in to his arms. "You look gorgeous as always."

"You don't look too bad yourself." Sharpay had a huge smile on her face. Seeing her twin brother always made her happy. Separating from his embrace, she stepped back and noticed the man standing behind him, keeping his distance from the siblings. "So who do we have here?"

"Oh, Sharpay, this is Luke. Luke this is my sister, Sharpay." The two exchanged hand shakes and hellos.

Sharpay stared at Luke, who had the most gorgeous green eyes. That was one more thing both her and Ryan had in common; they both have good taste in men.

"It's finally nice to meet you, Sharpay. I've heard so much about you." Luke smiled at her, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

"Oh really," She glared at Ryan, hoping he hadn't said anything too embarrassing about her. "Well I just found out about you today."

Her brother gave her an "Ice Queen" stare, something he had obviously learned from his own sister.

The three made their way over to the kitchen where Sharpay grabbed a few wine glasses while Ryan popped open his eighty dollar bottle of Merlot. Luke took a seat at the dining room table and Ryan soon followed him, two glasses of wine in hand.

"Sharpay is a great cook. She used to always cook for me when we would be home alone. Thank god; the only thing I could cook was a bowl of cereal." Ryan laughed, taking a seat across from his boyfriend.

"Yeah, and he even had trouble with that sometimes," Sharpay added. She took a sip of her wine, watching Ryan and Luke talking from the kitchen. She smiled, happy that her brother was happy; happy that someone she actually cared about found someone to love.

Lost in her own thoughts, she soon came back to reality when her doorbell rang. The two men looked at the door as Sharpay made her way over there, curious of whom it could be. But little did they know, Sharpay knew exactly who it was.

She slowly opened the door and the only thing she could see was a bundle of white roses. The flowers then suddenly moved away and Jackson's face was visible, wearing a huge smile on it. "These are for you," He said, handing her the roses.

Sharpay was almost in shock as she took them and got a complete look at Jackson. His whole appearance, from his haircut to his shoes, was completely different then she remembered three years ago, or even the other day.

"Hey there, baby," Jackson said, hugging Sharpay on his way in the door.

Closing the door behind her, she held the flowers up to her face, smelling the roses. "These are gorgeous, thank you."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Ryan giving Jackson a death stare. He didn't care for him at all when Sharpay left school to be with him and even more when she told him how and why they broke up. This was when Ryan became a little protective of his sister when it was usually the other way around.

After placing the roses in a glass vase, Sharpay walked Jackson over to the dining room table. "Jackson, this is my brother Ryan. I believe you guys met a few years back but it's been so long, I don't even remember." Ryan shot a glance at her before putting on his best fake smile and shaking Jackson's hand. "And this is Luke, Ryan's boyfriend. Jackson's going to be joining use for dinner tonight."

"Nice meeting you, Jackson. Why don't you take a seat and have a glass of wine?" Luke noticed Ryan's feelings about Jackson just by the way he was looking at him. So, to make the Texas native a little more comfortable, he decided to be nice to him. Even if that means he might have to sleep on the couch tonight.

Sharpay smiled at Luke's kindness and made her way back to the kitchen to get everything ready for dinner. Ryan got up from his seat and followed right behind her, pretending to go and help with the food.

"So do you want to tell me what's going on?" Ryan said, watching as his sister pulled her dish of lasagna out of the oven.

"What are you talking about?" Sharpay tried to avoid the subject by focusing her eyes on the dinner and not looking in to Ryan's big blue eyes.

"You know exactly what the hell I'm talking about. Why is he here?" It was hard for Ryan to keep himself from yelling but he managed to keep his voice level down to a whisper.

"To have dinner," Sharpay replied so nonchalantly as if it were no big deal that Jackson broke her heart. "We're just friends anyway. He's changed a lot in the past few years and you should give him a chance."

"How can I? When I saw him, all I could think about were the times when I had to talk to you on the phone for hours because you were crying so much you couldn't sleep. He hurt you, Sharpay, and when you hurt, I hurt."

Opening the door to the fridge, Sharpay couldn't help but stop and take in what Ryan had said. It was all true and there was no way she could hide anything from her own brother; whether she liked it or not. She pulled the bowl of salad out and handed it to him. "Listen, I know you're concerned; hell, I would be too if I were you. But trust me, nothing is going to happen. Now," Picking up the lasagna, she tip-toed up to her much taller brother and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Let's go have some dinner."

The hour long dinner consisted mainly of Ryan and Luke talking about work and music and other meaningless stuff Sharpay just nodded her head to, pretending she was listening. It was hard for her to pay attention to anything. The whole situation with Troy wouldn't erase from her mind. She had him, well, almost did and when she thought she was about to, he was taken from her…again.

Suddenly she felt a hand touch hers on top of the table, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was Jackson; he was staring at her as he moved her fork across his plate. "What are you thinking about?" He was whispering, trying not to interrupt the conversation Ryan and Luke were having.

"It's nothing," She pulled her hand away from his and grabbed her glass of wine, as if that was her excuse for wanting her hand back.

Moments later, Ryan and Luke had left, telling Sharpay they would see her tomorrow after she agreed to have breakfast with them. Jackson on the other hand decided he wanted to stay and help her clean up.

"That was a great dinner, Sharpay." Jackson said, scrubbing the plates in the sink. "I never knew you could cook so well."

"Yeah, because you were never home so I could cook for you." Her harsh tone of voice caught him off guard. He thought maybe his compliment offended her in some way.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, drying off his hands and walking towards her as she wiped the table off.

Throwing the wash cloth, Sharpay was obviously a little upset. All of her emotions were coming at her at once and she almost couldn't handle it. "I don't know. I don't know if I'm alright. I just feel like the whole world is coming down on me and I can't rest it on my shoulders."

Jackson got closer to her and wrapped her up in his arms. She rested her head on his chest as she calmed down, taking slower breaths and relaxing her body. "I've never seen you like this before; so weak and fragile. You're so strong, Sharpay. You could carry the whole world on the tip of your finger. Just like a basketball."

"I hate basketball," Sharpay said, making both her and Jackson laugh. He held her tighter then, trying to make her more comfortable which had seemed to be working.

Meanwhile, outside of Sharpays building, Troy stood outside on the sidewalk. He could see through her window her and an unknown man hugging and laughing. He had become a little jealous and his basic male instinct kicked in as he made his way up to the third story of the building where Sharpays loft is located.


	6. Writer

**Disclaimer: **The movie **High School Musical **and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. **Mickey Mouse **owns them…sadly.But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.

**A/N:** Wow, guys…fifteen reviews on just one chapter. I'm so happy right now; I'm doing my happy dance (Thank god none of you can see it…). So here's Chapter Six, fully equipped with way more **Troy** and** Sharpay**…together. Although there is a lot of arguing and screaming, a little crying but none the less, it's **Troypay**! The last chapter was at first so long that I couldn't possibly make it only one chapter so I split it in to two and added a little more. And sorry about the sudden cliffhanger, I just had to end it somewhere and that seemed to be the best part to do so. I thought I was about to get pelted with rocks by like five people. But I'm glad everyone is enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Love all of y'all and keep on reviewing. Oh, and make sure you periodically **check my profile**. I'll be posting **reviewer shout-outs**, **author notes** and **recent news** there within the next few days.

**Details: **Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?

Chapter #006: **Writer **

In one ear, Sharpay could hear dripping water from her kitchen sink. In the other, she could hear Jackson's heart beat. As her head rested on his chest, she closed her eyes. She could feel a warmness coming from him. To her, it was comforting. Something she hadn't felt since Troy held her the night she had drank too much. His head was down, hanging next to hers. Every now and then he would kiss her gently on her temple. They stood there in an embrace for what felt like forever, but it was merely only a couple of minutes.

Sharpay pulled away and looked up at Jackson. He smiled at her and put his hand on her waist. "I guess I should go. I have an early morning tomorrow," He looked at his watch and laughed when he saw that it was quarter to midnight. "And it's almost tomorrow." Leaning down, he gave Sharpay a soft kiss on the cheek. "Give me a call sometime. Don't be a stranger, ya hear?"

"I'll try not to be." Sharpay was feeling weird. She hated Jackson's guts for years and now she feels comfortable with him like she felt when they were dating in college. "I might try to get something worked out for Friday, okay?"

"That would be awesome, sweetheart." The smile on his face reached from one ear to another. He made his way over to the door and let himself out, Sharpay watching him the whole way.

Outside of Sharpays loft, Troy stood on the staircase, contemplating what he was going to say to her and waiting for the guy she was with to leave. He peaked around the corner and watched him walk out of the third story home and up to the elevator. Troy couldn't help but stare; he knew who this guy was. It had to be the guy Sharpay wrote about in her notebook.

_Luckily, I decided to go home instead of on an audition and stumbled upon my naked fiancé, with a naked woman, in OUR bed._

_He told me I was self-centered, inconsiderate of his feelings and I didn't know how to take care of a man._

For what he did to Sharpay, he hated him. He didn't even know the guys name but to Troy, no woman should be deceived that way. On the other hand, Troy couldn't help but call himself a hypocrite after thinking that.

Yes, he does have feelings for Gabriella. But he doesn't know if he is with her because he loves her or if he's just scared to leave her. He and Gabriella have been together for nearly six years on and off but something was always missing to Troy. The past couple of weeks with Sharpay felt like the past six years with Gabriella but with that extra something added in. He didn't know what it was but he liked it, even loved it.

Hearing the elevator going down, Troy stepped up a couple of steps before reaching the hall way leading to the door of Sharpays loft, the only loft on the floor. He walked up to the door and fixed his hair. Nerves ran threw his whole entire body and he immediately turned around, not knowing if he would be able to face her.

Meanwhile, Sharpay was putting away dishes in her kitchen, humming a song she had heard on the radio. Her mind was finally calm and serene which it hasn't been in the last few days. Jackson, in some odd way, made her mellow and not so angry or confused anymore.

To her, he's changed but was it legit or just another 'Jackson Mind Game'? She shook her head, trying not to think too much. Her migraine was finally dying down to a mere headache and she didn't want to worry about anymore drama in her life. God knows she already has enough of that.

Continuing to finish up the dishes, Sharpay reached her hand in to a sink full of soapy water. Suddenly she winced in pain, quickly pulling her hand out of the sink. She looked down and saw blood run down her palm and then all the way down her arm before dripping down to the floor from her elbow.

"Dammit," She whispered under her breath. She grabbed a wash cloth and placed in on her palm firmly, trying to stop the bleeding.

The door bell then rung and Sharpay was beginning to get a little frustrated. She took a deep sigh before grabbing the door handle with her uncut hand and swinging it open. Troy stood there with his hands in his pockets and with a look of confusion when he noticed Sharpay holding a once white towel on her hand.

"What happened to you?" Troy said, rushing up to Sharpay and grabbing her hand. "Did he do this to you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She snapped her hand away from him and walked over to her kitchen sink, placing the cut under some running water. "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm talking about that guy that was just here. That's your ex right; the one that cheated on you?" Troy was close to yelling as he entered Sharpays loft, closing the door behind him. "If he did this to you, I swear to…"

"Calm down 'Mr. Hot and Heavy Temper Tantrum', I accidentally cut myself on a knife in the sink. Plus, Jackson would never…" Sharpay then stopped and thought about what Troy had said. He slipped and by the look on Sharpays face, she wasn't very happy. "Wait, I never told you he cheated on me. Where did you hear that?"

"Uh," Troy didn't know what he could say that would make Sharpay not kill him. He was busted and he knew it when he took a glance over at the notebook still sitting on the small table near the window.

Sharpays eyes followed his to the notebook and immediately her jaw dropped. "You read my notebook?" Troy didn't even have to answer her for her to know he did. "I can't believe you looked through that."

To Troy, she seemed more hurt then angry. He stepped a little closer to her, but making sure he was a good arms length away from Sharpay. "Look, I only read a couple of pages. I just wanted to…"

"To what Troy? Find some dirt on me so you could go tell your fiancé that my life is screwed up?" Sharpay finished wrapping her hand in a gauze bandage and walked over to the table, snatching the notebook from on top of it. Her face was bright red due to the fact that not only was she angry but she was fighting back tears. Sharpay was never really one to cry in front of people.

"Listen Sharpay," Troy wanted to calm her down. Her back was facing him as she stared out the window and making glances at the notebook in her hands, "I'm sorry. I should've told you about Gabriella and I. But the truth is, I never thought I would feel this way about a person I haven't seen in five years. I assumed we were just going to meet up, catch up and go on our merry way. I didn't think I would ever..." Troy paused, feeling a lump in his throat. He didn't want to say what he wanted to. If he did, he would feel guilty. He knew though, that deep down in his heart, he loves Sharpay.

"Troy," He could hear the trembling in her voice. She turned around, her eyes red from the tears. Stepping towards him, she reached out the notebook, handing it over to Troy. "Please leave." Sharpay tried her best not to show any kind of weakness in front of him. She tried to stay strong even though it was very difficult for her to do at the time.

Troy was in shock as he took the notebook in to his hand. Tears were welling up inside of his eyes as he made his way to the door. He looked over his shoulder and watched Sharpay turn back around so that he couldn't see her cry. With that one last look, Troy walked out and shut the door behind him.

When Sharpay heard the door click shut, she fell to the ground. Her uncontrollable sobbing could be heard from outside her loft where Troy still stood. She sprawled herself across her shag rug and just laid there, staring at the ceiling. Closing her eyes, she could only see one person in her thoughts as she drifted in to sleep.

Two hours passed by and it was two in the morning when Troy walked in to his moonlit apartment. It was small, a lot smaller then Sharpays, and it didn't have much furniture. It was your basic bachelors pad, and Troy liked it. As long as he was comfortable and had a roof over his head, he was happy. But tonight he wasn't happy and he knew it wasn't going to get any better when he saw the answering machines red light blinking with a big number five next to it. He knew who it was and what all of them were about.

_Ten o' Three PM_

_Hey Troy, this is Gabriella, it is about seven thirty here in Albuquerque which makes it about ten there in New York. I just wanted to get your input on the dinner menu. What do you think; lobster and steak or chicken and shrimp? Call and give me your opinion. Love you, bye._

_Ten Fifty Seven PM_

_It is me again sweetie. I need to know about the invitations. Who do you want to invite? I really need to send these out as soon as possible. The wedding is in a little less then a month and I need to get the guest list made up. Two hundred and fifty is our limit and almost a hundred are taken up already with just our family. Call me so we can work this out._

_Eleven Twenty Nine PM_

_Troy, its Gabriella, I know you're probably out working or something so give me a call back. My mom and I are going cake shopping tomorrow and I wanted to know what you think we should have. _

He sighed and smashed down the delete button, knowing the other two messages were from the same person about the same damn thing; Gabriella and the wedding. The last thing on his mind was the flavor of his cake and weather or not he wants chicken or steak.

Troy, making his way to the bathroom, threw Sharpays notebook on his bed. He wanted to wash away any kind of emotion he was feeling at the moment; frustration, sadness, anger and most of all, love.

Steam poured out of the bathroom door when Troy opened it a good forty-five minutes later. He had a towel wrapped around his waste with another one in his hand, using it to dry his hair off while he walked over to his dresser. As he opened the top drawer and grabbed a pair of boxers, he noticed something on the floor out of the corner of his eye. It was an envelope and after putting his underwear on, Troy bent down and picked it up. He took a seat on the edge of his bed before pulling out a folded up piece of notebook paper from the envelope.

Her gaze was blurry as Sharpay awoke on the floor of her living room. All of her lights were on and for a second she thought it was morning before she looked at her phone; three o' clock. She rubbed her eyes, trying to make all the dots around the lights go away. Once her vision became clear, she looked around her loft. It was quite and she was all alone. She tried thinking of something to do, something to take her mind off of things. The first thing that came to mind wasn't an option, especially since it involved Troy. She decided to go with plan B and after getting changed in to a pair of ripped jeans and a vintage tee, she found herself inside of an apartment building twenty minutes away from her loft.

Standing outside of the door with the numbers seven one seven on the front of it, she quietly knocked. She stood there playing with a loose strand of her blonde hair while the rest of it was pulled back in to a ponytail. With no response to the knock, Sharpay turned around, ready to walk back down the stairs she had just walked up a few moments before.

"Sharpay," A voice from the door made her spin around. Jackson stood in the door way in nothing but pajama pants. He had no shirt on and his dark brown ear-length hair was shaggier then usual, letting Sharpay know that she had just woken him up. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I woke you. I just wanted to see you and I don't know….talk for a little bit."

Jackson squinted at her, his eyes still blurry from being half asleep. "At three in the morning?"

Sharpay blushed and was a little embarrassed. "Yeah, you're right. It's late so…I'll just go and call you sometime."

"No, stay; I'm just a little surprised that's all." Through Jackson's shady vision, he could see Sharpays bright white teeth smile. "C'mon in, it's cold out here."

Meanwhile, Troy laid down on his bed, reading the letter he found over and over again. He was still only in boxers and hadn't moved from his spot for nearly two hours. After reading the letter one more time, he set it down and turned off his lights, closing his eyes with the words still running through his head.

_My Dearest Troy,_

_It's funny when you think about what has been going on for the past couple of days. I mean, I don't how it happened but it was like this weird spark. We hadn't seen each other for what, five years, and we never really were 'friends' in high school and now all of a sudden we're like best buds. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining but to tell you the truth, I never thought it would happen. It may have been obvious but I was crazy about you in high school. But once Gabriella came along and you two started dating, I knew I would never get to be with you. And now I am. Kinda. I feel like I've finally gotten what I've always wanted. And when I asked you to stay with me, you did. So please, never leave me. _

_I love you Troy Bolton, always have and always will. _

_-Sharpay _


End file.
